Early Departure

Updated on December 20, 2001By Ryan James Comments Off on Early Departure

Early Departure Our houseguests or apartment guests were up early to make their long journey. We attempted to provide them with a hardy breakfast for the day ahead, but they wanted to keep it light. Ron and I both were dealing with our loss of company in subdued ways, but internally, it was more dramatic. The rest of the day was empty and quiet as was the apartment. I thought Ron should explore the thermal that I had gone to on my own and he set off to go. I wanted him to experience it without me to allow him time to adjust to an unfamiliar culture without the reassurance of having me along. Hopefully, this will ease his adjustment. While he was gone, I took the subways and explored on my own. It becomes too easy to depend on each other for getting around and remembering where things are. I want to be able to navigate the city on my own as well as Ron should be able to. If we do indeed get jobs here, it will be important. As I was transversing the city like a mole, it dawned on me how easy it would be to become totally aware of how to get around the city through the underground, but to be ‘in the dark’ when above ground. With that in mind, I walked between subway stations to get a sense of my surroundings in both environments. While Ron was being entertained, I took the opportunity on the Internet to look for English schools. I found about twenty that I send an enquiry letter to regarding a teaching position. Most are specific schools for language and not academic institutions, but anything that helps me to obtain a residency permit is worth the venture. I had read and have been told that e-mail is the method of choice. The schools are too busy or overwhelmed to bother reading letters that come in the snail mail and the e-mail gives them a sense that you are computer literate to some level. Since is it so close to the holidays, I am not anticipating a great response until after the holidays, but at least I will catch them when they return.When he returned, Ron decided that he wanted to see live production of “Funny Girl” at the local theater. This was the last night that it was playing. Reading a libretto flashed on the wall, while listening to Hungarians play a role that I adored Barbara Streisand in, was not my idea of a good time, so he went on his own. We both did our loneliness healing in our own way and part of that was to do our own thing, which included staying out of each other’s way.